Vehicles are generally constructed around a frame, where a vehicle's finished surface panels are secured or bonded to substructures to form body panels that are designed for attachment to the irregular surfaces of the frame. FIG. 1A shows a vehicle hood 10 formed with a finished surface outer panel 12 (see-thru surface) bonded at multiple points 14 to a structural inner panel 16 that may be stamped from sheet metal or formed from composite materials such as SMC. As shown, the periphery of outer panel (outer skin) 12 and structural inner panel 16 are bonded together at the edges 18. FIG. 1B is a cross section of a typical composite body panel peripheral flange where the class A outer panel 12 is bonded 14 (typically polyurethane or epoxy adhesive) or secured at a bond flange 20 of the structural inner panel 16. The hat section 22 of the structural inner panel 16 can be designed to follow the contour of a corresponding seal-carrying surface on a vehicle body. FIG. 1C is an isometric view of a body panel 24 where the bond flange 20 follows the contour of the finished surface outer panel 12.
Vehicles with removable hard top panels (28L-left, 28R-right), especially for sport utility vehicles (SUV) and jeeps 26, as shown in FIGS. 2A-2I, have become increasingly popular. The removable nature of the hard top panels (28L, 28R) requires weather-stripping and a water management system with a discharge path to direct water to a vehicles' exterior thereby ensuring the vehicles 26 occupants remain dry from rain and snow. FIG. 2D is a detailed view of FIG. 2C showing the molded weather stripping 32 on the mounting flange 30I (see FIGS. 2H and 2I), where “I” is an interior portion of the structural panel of the roof panel 30. FIG. 2E shows left removable panel 28L as removed from FIG. 2C. FIGS. 2G and 2H show the region where the roof panel 30 joins with removable panel 28L. In FIG. 2H, 28L is shown in transparency to show the overlap with mounting flange 30I, and the molded weather stripping 32 is absent. FIG. 2I shows the structural inner portion 30I and mounting flange with the molded weather stripping 32 absent. The roof 30 and removable panels 28 may be formed of aluminum, steel, or carbon fiber. Alternatively, the roof 30 and removable panels 28 may be formed of glass reinforced plastics and composites. Composites may include sheet molding compounds (SMC) or bulk molding compounds (BMC).
However, existing designs for sealing removable vehicle hardtop panels are not always affective and are prone to failure overtime, thereby leading to incursion of moisture to a vehicle interior. The moisture incursion is pronounced where the removable panels (28L, 28R) join together with each other and with the non-removable portion of a vehicle roof 30, and at the B-pillar 27 (see FIG. 2A). FIGS. 3A-3M are a series of views of an existing removable panel 28 and roof 30I interface at the B-pillar with stuffer materials to fill voids 29 at the B-pillar interfaces between the removable panels 28L and 28R and the roof 30I interface (see FIGS. 3D and 3I). The removable panel 28I has a ninety degree bend 38 which creates a vertical sealing at the B-pillar interface 40. The sealing stuffers in the void area 29 experience both a compressive and shear force which causes the stuffers 34 to tend to roll out of their intended position. As shown in FIG. 3M, four specially shaped pieces of foam 36 are required on every removable (“Freedom”) Panel 28L or 28R, for each corresponding B-pillar corner interface 40 to combat leaks. However, the separate pieces of foam 36 are cumbersome and time consuming to place during vehicle assembly, and are also prone to failure over time.
Thus, there exists a need for an improved seal with constant compression between and along bond flanges for vehicles with removable top panels.